HealthLinc continues to impress me with their unique ways of serving their patients and the communities they are in. Coming soon is National Health Center week, and HealthLinc will be celebrating by hosting Community Health Fairs at various sites in Northwest Indiana. These fairs provide wellness check-ups, sports physicals, and COVID-19 vaccines all free of charge. And, of course, there are plenty of games and food! Part of the preparation for this event was organizing school supplies that could be given away to kids in need of basic supplies. Many volunteers including myself spent several days packing backpacks full of supplies that could be sent to the site fairs. These fairs are one of HealthLinc’s biggest yearly events and contribute to the goal of creating healthy communities.
In addition to these fairs, HealthLinc’s outreach has also expanded to virtual services. Thanks to TeleHealth, we have been able to perform annual wellness check-ups and other doctor’s appointments online if needed. Now, HealthLinc is planning on launching their app which will include an array of services. One of these services will be reminding patients of their appointments, and even further, reminding them to check their vitals with their given Remote Patient Monitoring device. The app will also include health educational videos recorded by HealthLinc personnel. Some of the video topics include stress management, nutrition/cooking demonstrations, yoga/flexibility, and low impact workouts. I was given the opportunity to lead the low impact workouts, and I enjoyed every minute of it. The workouts ranged from cardiovascular training to strength training as well as flexibility and recovery. In the videos, I also informed people about the importance of exercise and how it can improve chronic conditions by strengthening the heart and training the muscles. I also touched on the need for proper recovery and nutrition after these workouts.
On top of learning skills to improve community health, I have also been able to develop my skills as a future healthcare provider. I participated in a random situational CPR training. This training simulated a medical emergency that could happen at any time in the workplace or any public area. Trainings like these equip people with tools that will give them confidence to act if someone were to collapse from cardiac or respiratory arrest.
It has been awesome to see the progress both grant funded programs (Food as Medicine and Remote Patient Monitoring) have made so far. The data we have gathered show tremendous promise for the future. Evaluating this data on a large scale is necessary, but what’s most important is how the lives of patients are being transformed. When we enroll patients in these programs, they commit to pursuing a healthier lifestyle, and we are there to provide them with the resources to do so. People find hope in knowing they ar e part of a team. Patients and providers are all a part of one team whose goal is to achieve a higher quality of life. Patients enrolled in our programs tell us how much our care means to them and how it is changing their life for the better.
– Tytus Ragle, HealthLinc